


memory of a clear sky in spring

by innsjovide



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Airbending & Airbenders, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, F/F, Slow Burn, airbender! kyoshi, yun is still the false avatar rip
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-14 10:01:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29915223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/innsjovide/pseuds/innsjovide
Summary: au: airbender kyoshiKyoshi is discovered to be an airbender at a young age and taken to train at the Air Temples. Later, she is requested to be part of Avatar Yun's personal ensemble, representative of her nation, an honor too great to refuse. For a while she and her new friends live in peace as Yun trains to be the Avatar, but everything comes crashing down when Kyoshi does the impossible.
Relationships: Kelsang & Kyoshi (Avatar), Kyoshi & Rangi & Yun (Avatar), Kyoshi & Yun (Avatar), Kyoshi/Rangi (Avatar), Rangi & Yun (Avatar)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 47





	1. Prolouge: Fog In The Air

Kelsang was painfully aware of the stares he received as he made his way through the town. The people of Yokoya Port, despite living on the intersection between three different nations, never seemed all too welcoming of outsiders. The town was so small that news passed almost instantaneously, and by the time Kelsang had landed Pengpeng in the surrounding woodland and entered the village proper, the entire town knew that an Airbender was visiting. Due to being such a small town in such an isolated part of the Earth Kingdom, the people of Yokoya didn’t often receive visitors, especially from the other nations. That, at least, explained the stares. 

After a few moments spent wandering the town, Kelsang found who he was looking for-a gruff-looking farmer by the name of Yamato. The man had two daughters, ages six and eight if Kelsang was remembering correctly, and worked as a farmer. 

“Hello, Yamato.” Kelsang smiled as he approached the farmer, giving a polite bow.

Yamato returned the bow only out of custom. “I suppose you’re here to pay me?”

Kelsang sighed and dug around his robes, trying to find the large sack of gold he had promised the farmer. “And to check on Kyoshi.” After handing the cloth bag to Yamato, he asked, “Is she alright? Is she being fed well?”

Yamato smiled disingenuously. “Don’t worry, she’s fine! Kyoshi, come over here!”

Moments later, a small, frail girl emerged from the house Kelsang and Yamoto stood in front of. She was frailer than Kelsang remembered- her blue tunic ill-fitting and threadbare. Nevertheless, she was still recognizable as the girl Kelsang had come to think of as a daughter.

“Kyoshi!” The airbender greeted, bending down to make eye contact with the young girl. Despite having grown since Kelsang had last seen her, she still had a child’s stature. “I’m sorry I couldn’t come to see you sooner.”

“It’s alright.” Kyoshi replied, swinging back and forth on her feet as she spoke. “I’m glad you’re here now.”

Kelsang put his hand on Kyoshi’s hand. “Come on, let’s go walk.” He glanced at Yamato for any sign of disapproval. The farmer simply shrugged and returned to the inside of his house. 

After Yamato had disappeared, Kelsang turned back to Kyoshi. The girl- now almost nine years old, had taken his hand off his shoulder and now held it in her own. Taking the cue, Kelsang smiled. “Alright, alright. Let’s go.”

Kelsang had to slow his natural walking pace to match Kyoshi’s, but he didn’t mind. It did nothing but help him enjoy the scenery of Yokoya more. 

“Kyoshi,” Kelsang mused as they walked. “Are you being taken care of?”

The young girl nodded, but answered hesitantly. “Yes. I think so.” Kyoshi paused. “I don’t really know.”

Kelsang sighed a weary sigh. Yamato was not feeding the child Kelsang was paying him twenty gold a month to feed. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t come earlier, Kyoshi. I really am.”

Kyoshi gave him a frail smile. “That’s ok. You’re here now.” The light in her eyes faded as she stopped walking and stared at the ground. “I have a secret I need to tell you.”

Kelsang paused before responding. While he knew Kyoshi’s parents had abandoned her in Yokoya, the rest of her past was shrouded in a veil of mystery. “You do?”

Kyoshi nodded and took Kelsang’s hand into her own before leading the both of them to the side of a road and through an alleyway. Whatever Kyoshi’s secret was, it was becoming clear to Kelsang that it was too important for her to say in public. 

The alleyway Kyoshi led Kelsang to was small and secluded- ideally the perfect place to confess a secret, at least to Kyoshi. Despite it being between two houses with very open windows and in the part of town that always smelled like fish, Kelsang couldn’t help but understand the comfort the surrounding walls brang- it was certainly more reassuring than confessing things in the middle of the street. In this moment, the alleyway could’ve been a separate world entirely, created just for this. 

Kyoshi stared at her feet in worry and clutched her braided hair. She didn’t say a word until Kelsang once again put his hand on her shoulder. “Kyoshi, what did you want to tell me?”

Kyoshi took a breath to prepare herself for her confession. “You know…. How you’re an airbender?”

Kelsang nodded, anticipating Kyoshi to confess to being an earthbender, or maybe even a waterbender. Even though she had attended the Avatar test he and Jianzhu had held over a year ago, Kelsang had assumed the girl to be a nonbender on the sheer basis he had never seen her bend.She wouldn’t have been the only nonbending child taking the Avatar test that day.

Kyoshi closed her eyes. “I’m an airbender too!”

“You are?” Kelsang stammered. Given the conversation, he should’ve considered that result to be a possibility, but for some reason he oversought it. He remembered the stories he had been told about Nun Jesa and how she had left the Air Nation for a life of crime. Even though he had only met Jesa once or twice, it was easy for him to spot the resemblances between her and Kyoshi. 

Kyoshi nodded and glanced at the alleyway’s entrance. “Please don’t be mad at me.”

Kelsang shook his head. “No, no. I’m not mad. I’m just a little surprised, since this is the Earth Kingdom.”

Kyoshi nodded in understanding, the worry slowly fading from her face. 

“Could you show me some of your airbending?” Kelsang asked. If Kyoshi really was an airbender- which she most likely was, Kelsang did not know the girl to lie- then the next step would be to take her to the temples. She’d be safe there. 

Kyoshi gave a hurried nod and put her hands in front of her as Kelsang took his own off her shoulders. It took a moment, but within a minute's time Kyoshi had created a spiraling orb of air between her hands. It dissipated when she looked up at Kelsang, causing her to flinch. “I’m not that good…”

“No, no.” Kelsang put his hand on Kyoshi’s cheek. “Kyoshi, do you want to come with me to the Southern Air Temple?”

* * *

The Southern Air Temple was nothing like anywhere Kyoshi had been before. It was on a mountain in the sky, to start. It was bigger than anywhere she had been before, too, though the village of Yokoya wasn’t that big in the first place. Even now, sitting in a small library filled with scrolls she couldn’t read, she couldn’t help but be mesmerized by the small details carved into the walls. 

Kyoshi stood up and walked to the room’s open window, gazing out at the temple gardens below, watching the airbenders mill about their lives in their robes of orange and yellow, the colors of the sunset juxtaposed against the now mid-morning sky. What seemed like hours ago, Kelsang had brought her here on Pengpeng and presented her to the Council of Elders. Standing before the Council, Kyoshi had reluctantly displayed the same airbending she had shown Kelsang. Afterwards, Kelsang had taken her to the library, explaining that he needed to talk with the elders about her. He had looked relieved when Kyoshi agreed to sit patiently until they came to a conclusion. 

Entranced in watching an outdoor music class taking place, Kyoshi barely noticed when Kelsang knocked on the door and opened it. She turned around and sat as politely as she could, patiently awaiting his response. 

Kelsang smiled and sat next to Kyoshi, putting his hand on her shoulder. “Kyoshi, I have good news!”

Kyoshi looked Kelsang in the eye but didn’t make any verbal response. 

“You’re going to be an Air Nomad, Kyoshi!” Kelsang smiled and enveloped her in a warm hug. Kyoshi nearly cried at the sensation, it had been so long since someone had hugged her. 

Kyoshi looked up at Kelsang. “Really?” The truth seemed too foreign to be real. “Am I going to stay here?”

Kelsang gently shook his head. “You’re going to go to the Eastern Air Temple to train with the nuns there. I’ll be there as much as I can, and I can assure you that you’ll be safe there.”

It took a while for the truth to truly settle. “I’m going to be safe?” Kyoshi asked, aware of the tears forming in the corners of her eyes. 

“Yes, you are.” Kelsang put his hand over her head, pulling her closer to him in a warm embrace. 

Kyoshi let herself cry in relief as she leaned into Kelsang’s hug, relieved in the safety of the air temple and the security of the life she had infront of her. She was safe.


	2. Eight Years Later, Yokoya Port

Despite having lived in the Avatar’s mansion for just over two years now, it still took Kyoshi twenty minutes to find her way to the Avatar’s personal garden. The mansion was a labyrinth of stone and wood, and while the compound was considerably smaller than the temples Kyoshi had grown up in, it was much more compact, winding halls and small crannies crammed into every space imaginable. After years of living at the estate, Kyoshi still found herself getting lost. She was sure there were parts of the mansion she had never even stepped foot in. The Avatar’s garden, however, was one of the places she frequently visited.

Unlike the rest of the mansion, the garden wasn’t accessible to guests, only to Avatar Yun, his teachers, and his closest companions, as well as the garden staff. The small, walled garden featured an array of flowers and plants from all four nations, a cleared, open area of grass meant for meditation, and a bubbling creek. It was the ideal place to escape from the hustle of everyday life at the mansion, and was the closest reminder Kyoshi had to her home. The more time she spent at the Avatar’s mansion, the more she missed the Eastern Air Temple, where she had grown up. 

Kyoshi sat down in the clearing, under the gentle shade of the cherry tree, and assumed a meditative posture, her fists positioned in a way so that her arrow tattoos would point at one another. As Kyoshi mediated, she focused on the soft sounds of the garden around her, and the gentle spring breeze filtering through the tree branches. 

“There you are!” Rangi called as she entered the garden, her armor jostling as she jogged up to Kyoshi. “I swear, you probably come here more than Yun does.”

Kyoshi opened her eyes and looked up at her friend. Silhouetted by the afternoon sunlight, it was hard to distinguish Rangi’s features, but her pointed shoulder armor and top knot gave her away. Kyoshi smiled. “Hey, Rangi! What brings you here?”

Rangi plopped down on the ground in front of Kyoshi. “Have you seen Yun? I’ve been looking for him since lunch.”

Kyoshi shook her head. “No, I think he’s been training with your mother.” Hei-ran was both a master firebender and an experienced teacher, it made perfect sense that she was chosen to teach the young Avatar his second element. 

“I checked the training grounds and no one was there.” Rangi huffed. “I thought you might know where they are. Do you think he might be with Master Kelsang?”

Kyoshi could only shrug in reply. It had been a while since she had last seen either her father or Yun. “Do you want my help looking for them?”

Rangi reluctantly nodded and stood up, waiting to respond until Kyoshi had followed. The firebender put her arm around Kyoshi’s and led her to the garden’s exit. “Come on, let’s go.”

* * *

Rangi and Kyoshi received respectful nods and smiles as they walked through the more public areas. Both prodigies in their respective elements and official companions of the Avatar, they earned a level of respect amongst the crowd Jianzhu usually hosted. Despite the pleasant smiles and greetings, Kyoshi couldn’t help but feel out of place amongst the Earth Sages constantly gathered in the mansion. 

Kyoshi glanced over the public garden. It held many of the same features Yun’s private garden did, though it was larger, and much more crowded. Visiting dignitaries milled about the garden, making small talk amongst the flowers. While many of the guests hailed from the Earth Kingdom, Kyoshi spotted a few red and blue coats amongst the hydrangeas and fire lilies. Theoretically, she and Rangi would fit right in amongst the crowd. 

Moments after they entered the garden courtyard, Kyoshi and Rangi were stopped by one of the many dignitaries. The man wore a crisp, dark green robe and couldn’t have been much older than either of them. “Greetings, girls! I’m Aiguo Sang, though I’m sure you already know that.” He greeted in an overly confident, sing-song voice.

Kyoshi glanced at Rangi, who was in the midst of sighing in defeat. “We’re kind of in the middle of-”

“You know, I am the governor of the Gangbei Province.” Aiguo continued ignoring Rangi’s comment. “And our city has been absolutely prospering lately. It’s incredible! I can’t take all the credit, though, I have to thank our new port for that. It’s amazing what a little city infrastructure can do!”

Kyoshi glanced at Rangi, unsure what they had to do with this issue. “Actually, we were looking for the-”

“Rangi! Kyoshi!” Yun smiled as he ran across the gardens to them, stopping only feet from Kyoshi. His fine green robes were rumpled and covered dirt, his hair a mess. “I was looking for you!”

Kyoshi laughed and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “We were looking for you!”

“I was just training with Jianzhu.” Yun shrugged. “We went out into the countryside so we wouldn’t disturb anyone with the noise.”

Kyoshi nodded. From what she had seen, earthbending was the loudest of the four bending arts. She watched as Aiguo disappeared back into the gardens, his plan apparently foiled by the presence of the Avatar.

“You should’ve told us where you were.” Rangi huffed, crossing her arms in front of her in defiance. “We spent the last thirty minuets looking for you.”

Yun shrugged and smiled. “Well, I’m here now!”

“Do you know where Kelsang is?” Kyoshi asked. 

“I think he’s with the rest of my bending teachers.” Yun put a hand to the back of his head. “Oh! I have news for you two!”

“Really?” Rangi asked. “What is it?”

Yun took a moment to glance around the garden. Kyoshi was sure she saw a flash of worry in the boy’s eyes. “We should probably go inside for it, it’s kind of private.”

Kyoshi exchanged a glance with Rangi, then nodded. “Alright. If you say so.”

* * *

Yun led Kyoshi and Rangi inside, to one of the mansion’s many private libraries. While not the most secluded area of the mansion, it was far better than the public garden.

Kyoshi sat down on one of the couches as Yun closed the door behind him. Rangi stood behind her, tapping her foot on the ground impatiently.

Once Yun had assured that the door was closed, he marched in front of Kyoshi and Rangi so they could both see him. A beaming smile was written across his face. 

“We’re going on a trip!” Yun beamed. “All of us!”

“Where are we going?” Rangi asked as she moved around the couch to sit next to Kyoshi.

“And why couldn’t you tell us in the garden?” Kyoshi added. 

Yun put his hand to the back of his neck. “We’re going to the Coral Isles, to investigate a… weird spiritual occurrence. Jianzhu thinks that if I’m there, maybe I can resolve the issue. Since it won’t be dangerous, you’re all allowed to come with us!”

The Coral Isles were an archipelago located south-east of the mainland Earth Kingdom, only a day’s trip away fr0m the Eastern Air Temple. Once, Kyoshi had visited the islands with some of her fellow airbenders. “What sort of spiritual occurrence?” She asked. 

Yun hesitated to respond. “I’m not exactly sure, I’ll have to check with Jianzhu. I’m sure it’s nothing. At least nothing I can’t fix.” His words were laced with worry.

“Alright.” Rangi said, her voice affirming and direct. “We’ll come with you. When do we leave?”

“In about a week.” Yun replied, now sitting down on the seat opposite them. 

Kyoshi smiled. “Alright! I can’t wait!” 

Even though he had just sat down, Yun stood up and brushed some of the dirt off his robes, much to Rangi’s apparent disgust. He walked to the door. “Ok, sounds great! I’m going to go tell Jianzhu, I’ll get back to you when I know more!”

Before either Kyoshi or Rangi could reply, Yun disappeared into the hall, leaving them in the library alone. 

“So... the Coral Isles…” Rangi trailed off. “Have you ever been there?”

Kyoshi nodded. “Yeah, once when I was twelve or thirteen. I wonder what the spiritual issue is…”

“Yeah, me too…” Rangi stared at the wall then abruptly stood up. “Anyways, I’m going to go find out more information about this. See you later?”

Kyoshi nodded but stayed seated on the couch. She smiled at Rangi. “See you later!”

Once Kyoshi heard the sound of Rangi walking down the hallway, she stood up and left through the same door, setting off to find her father.


End file.
